Rebel
by HeroInTraining
Summary: The daughter of Captain America knew she was special. Growing up motherless, she had no idea the superhuman population was on the brink of war. Thrust into the battle, she discovers that she is the key to the end of the Civil War. Rated for violence.
1. Gain

**Rebel**

**Gain**

"Bam! Take that!" I shout, making my Captain America doll and my Red Skull doll fight each other. Captain America wins. He always does. I make him throw the Red Skull out of the plane and land it safely on the chair I'm sitting next to. Daddy looks up from his newspaper and smiles.

"Who won this time?"

"You, silly! You always win!" I laugh, hugging him. Daddy lifts me onto his lap. He sets the newspaper on my head like a hat. I laugh more. "Tell me about Mommy again," I say, snuggling up against him.

He starts, "Well, she was a very popular, very talented singer. She was best at disco. The Woman of Light, that's what they called her. Mommy did what she loved for the people she loved. She…she was…" Daddy sounds like he's going to cry. He always does when he talks about Mommy.

I pat his arm before getting up. I grab my dolls and go to my room. It's filled with toys. A lot of them are of superheroes, just like the posters. Daddy says it's a little much, but they're just so cool! Uncle Tony, Uncle Bruce, Aunt Janet, all of them. They like me too. Sometimes they act like they hate me, but Daddy says it's superhero business. Maybe when I'm older I'll be like Black Widow or Translate, or get hit by radiation like the Hulk or Doc Samson, or even be bit by a radioactive animal like Spider-Man or Sauron. There are so many ways! Probably the easiest is to inherit them from Mommy and Daddy. Mommy's would be cool. But even if they're lame like Ticklehair or the Living Sponge I'll be happy.

"Honey, it's time for bed," Daddy says, walking into my room.

"Okay." I put down the dolls I was playing with in the Fantastic Four drawer and climb into bed.

Daddy kisses my cheek. He whispers, "Good night. I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy." He leaves the room. Green light from the nightlight lets me see a picture next to my bed. It shows Mommy and Daddy holding me as a baby. Their smiles are so big they almost touch their eyes. I've never seen Daddy smile like that. It seems like ever since Mommy left Daddy changed. He acts normal in front of me, but sometimes at night I can hear him crying or talking to Mommy like she's with him. Saying that he misses her, how hard it is to raise me alone, stuff like that. And how he's always afraid I'm going to get hurt. I try to behave. It helps Daddy, especially when he's out being Captain America.

That's the reason I can't play sports. In gym they don't let me do a lot. I'm good at basketball, but Daddy doesn't let me. He says I was born too early with a hole in my heart. It never healed. When I run a lot I can't breathe, kind of like asthma. Mark has it, and he does nothing. Sometimes it's a pain in the butt, like field day. Sometimes it works out, like hockey. _Yawn! _I think I'll go to sleep now.

o8o

"Come on, up and at 'em! Drop down and give me 20!"

This is how Daddy wakes me up for school. He makes me train with push-ups and stuff. He had to do it when he was in the army. I finish the push-ups and get dressed. I only eat some cereal because I don't feel good. Daddy makes sure I have the invitations for my birthday party. Then he sends me to the bus stop. Teri is there too. Mr. Newlie, my second grade teacher, has a rule: you must invite everybody or nobody. I don't like that rule. Most of the kids in my class tease me. Only Lisa, Teri, and Miguel don't. They are my best friends. But the others won't if Daddy is there. Everyone loves Daddy. I still don't know why. "Lisa, I'm going to hand out the invitations today," I say.

She sits next to me on the bus. "Cool! When is it?"

"Sunday." We talk about my party until we get to school. I give my class the cards. Then we do science and reading. At lunch people ask about it. Some ask about Daddy. Everybody knows Daddy is Captain America. That makes me popular.

All week I prepare for the party. The theme is cartoons. Garfield, Hello Kitty, Buck Rodgers, Flash Gordon, whatever they like. Sunday instead of going to church we set everything up. At 3:00 sharp people arrive. Lisa is Tuxedo Sam. Miguel is Buck Rodgers. Teri is her daddy, Banshee. I'm Golden Girl from the Invaders. Whenever Daddy is gone I watch the Invaders TV show. It's awesome! They fought in the same war Daddy did. Golden Girl is my favorite.

My party is really fun. We play games, and eat cake, and open presents. We play some more. At 6:00 parents come. "Bye!" I say to each person. Teri leaves last. The X-Mansion is far away from here.

"Did you have fun today?" Daddy asks. He tucks me into bed a couple hours later.

"Yeah." My eyes close.

"That's good." He shuts the door since I'm already asleep.

The next morning Daddy makes me do jumping jacks. At breakfast he says we have no school. "Something about collateral damage," he says. Whatever that means.

Instead of school Daddy takes me to Avengers Tower. Kate Barton, Luna Maximoff, and Cassandra and Henry Pym Jr are playing in the front yard. I wave. "Hi!" I take off my motorcycle helmet. They run up to me. Well, everyone but Pym. He flies.

"Hi!" says Luna. "Hi, Uncle Steve!"

"Hello, Luna." Daddy goes inside. The grown-ups must be in there.

"Happy birthday!" Pym says. He's six.

"Yeah, happy birthday," Kate adds. She just turned 13.

"How old are you now?" Luna asks. Her ninth birthday is in a month.

I hold up seven fingers.

"You're as old as me now!" Cassie says happily.

"At least I'm not the oldest," I say, laughing. Kate sticks her tongue out at me. "Sorry." They go back to their tag game. I'm it when Uncle Pietro and Aunt Wanda come out. Uncle Pietro holds Luna's hand while Aunt Wanda picks me up. Billy and Tommy follow. They say hello, then we go inside. The lounge room is dark. Suddenly the lights turn on. The Avengers jump out from their hiding places. "Surprise!" they shout. Balloons in black, blue, and green are everywhere. My friends run inside. Kate holds a box with a bow on it.

"Happy birthday, Nikki!" everybody shouts.

There's a cupcake with a candle on it. My favorite: red velvet. Aunt Janet hands me the box. In it, there is a long black dress and a Dazzler action figure. They knew I wanted one of Dazzler more than anything else. Daddy refused to get me it, but there's no stopping the Avengers. Nothing means more to me. Anything having to do with Mommy isn't allowed. I think it should be. Someone needs to remember her. Anyway, I eat the cupcake and talk with the adults. I play games so I don't get bored. During our water gun fight Kate beats me. Me and Daddy leave soon after. Instead of playing, I lay down on the couch. Daddy is worried about me, but he leaves anyway.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he says. Pulling his mask on, Daddy kisses my cheek. Then he goes out the back door.

"Don't go," I whisper. I really don't feel good. Like my heart is beating too hard, becoming harder to breathe. An attack. All day I lay on the couch; when Daddy comes home I'm half asleep. The next few days I barely make it through school. On Thursday afternoon I go to Hawkeye and Mockingbird's house. Kate is still at school. I tell Uncle Clint and Aunt Bobbi about my pain. Aunt Bobbi makes me lay down. Uncle Clint calls Daddy. Before he gets off the phone I start breathing hard. "Aunt…Bobbi…" I say, passing out.

While I'm out I can still hear what's going on. Aunt Bobbi screams. Uncle Clint hangs up on Daddy and calls the Avenger's doctor. Aunt Bobbi comforts me while Uncle Clint stays with Kate. The doctor comes later. She takes me to the medical bay. Even Daddy isn't allowed in. No one is. Dr. Brenla gives me medicine so I'm crazy. I can't even remember my name. I am all by myself.

Something touches my arm: Daddy's hair. He is asleep in a chair. His hair tickles me. My arms and legs hurt, my chest too. _What did they do? What did I do?_ Probably something bad. Whatever it is, I didn't mean to! I was just with Uncle Clint and Aunt Bobbi! Straps hold my wrists and ankles down. Needles come out of my arm. _What did I do?_

Daddy wakes up. "Thank God, you're awake. How do you feel? What hurts?" He strokes my hair. It's pulled back in a ponytail.

"I'm sorry I made you leave, Daddy," I whisper.

"You don't have to apologize."

Dr. Brenla walks in. She takes some blood. Then she says, "Good morning. How do you feel?"

"It hurts," I say, crying.

"Everything will be okay. Tomorrow if all goes well you can go home. For now get some rest." She leaves with the blood.

Daddy tries to get me to stop crying. He looks tired. Eventually I cry myself out. The next day I'm allowed to go home. All I do is rest. When I get ready for bed, I look in the mirror and scream. "What happened to my hair?" I ask. It changed. Before it was black. Now blue streaks the color of the sky run through it.

"You look nice," he says.

I laugh. Now my hair looks cool. I finish up and go to bed.

A couple days later my powers show. In school I knock over a triple-beam balance (whatever that is). Normally it would fall, but I grab it in time. Only Daddy has that good reflexes. Weird. Later a kid drops a laptop. I make a plane carry it to his desk. During the bus ride home I can't stop thinking, _This is sooo cool! I have superpowers! I can be a superhero! Wait till Daddy hears!_ When I get home the doors are locked. I use the extra key to open the front door. Then I drop off my bag and go back outside. First I climb a tree easily, and then throw cans and hit them. Most of the time I fail, though eventually my powers get a little better. Daddy isn't home by dinner, so I make a sandwich and watch TV. At bedtime he still isn't home, so I just read a little. My practice made me tired.

After school, Daddy still isn't back. I leave my backpack in my room. Then I run to Avengers Mansion. _I can do gym now!_ I think. _Yea!_ Not many people are there. The kids are watching a movie. I think it's Toy Story. They say the Avengers are on an important mission. That explains a lot. Daddy is almost always home when I get home. "Kate," I ask, "Can you train me? In fighting?"

"But-"

"Look." I lift up the TV without it wobbling too much.

Kate looks at me funny. "You know I'm not the best person to ask. Does your dad know?"

"Come on! Daddy won't let me do anything. Your mommies and daddies will tell mine. Please?"

"Fine. Luna, come with me. Cassie, you're in charge. Move it, Nikki." She leads us to the shooting range. My training starts now.


	2. Discovery

**Discovery**

7 years later…

_On this day seven years ago I learned about my powers. Exactly one week from my birthday: April 16. Those seven years I trained diligently with help from my father and his friends. Kate, age 19 and a very good friend, helps the most. Uncle Clint let her adopt the name Hawkeye. Though she has no powers she picks up things, both from the Avengers and her college campus. Luna Maximoff, who is about to turn 16, isn't even allowed to use her powers in public. Mutant racism, stuff like that. The odd thing is Billy and Tommy Maximoff are established superheroes. Cassie is 14, and she just joined the superhero job as Stinger. She's pretty good at it. Pym is secretly the Buzz at age 13. Aunt Janet and Uncle Hank don't approve, but when you live with superheroes 24/7, it starts to rub off on you. Anything that sets you apart from the population can get you a name and a mask. Same thing with me. All my life I've adored heroes, and with my powers came a free ticket to Heroville. But no, Dad made me train. You know the drill. Gosh, I hate the drill._

_ On a happier note, my best friends have powers! I don't think I told you this. They all came within a week of each other. I think they just wanted to be like me. Who doesn't? Lisa can control water. Teri has a mean sonic scream. Miguel has access to something called the Darkforce. This lets him command shadow matter. His is by far the coolest. One day I hope we can-_

Bbrriinngg! The bell signaling the buses are here rings. I stuff my journal in my backpack and get swept up in the crowd. Once on my bus, I plop myself in a seat with Miguel. Lisa moved and Teri now goes to the Xavier Institute.

Miguel starts, "Teri, Lisa, and I were wondering…can you jumpstart our training?"

"Why me?" Even before I speak I know the answer.

"Because you've been training with the greats for seven years."

Well…the offer is tempting. All these years people passed on their knowledge to me. Now it's my turn. I may only be fourteen, but I can play teacher. "Sure, why not?" We talk about it and how to get Teri away from the Institute. All the next day I plan a lesson. They will have to work out the unique aspects of their powers on their own, but I can teach them the basics. At 3:30 Lisa drags Teri up the driveway.

"We're ready to learn!" Lisa says with a bright, cheery smile on her face.

Miguel shows up next. "Be amazed!" he shouts, attempting to throw a shadow ball at a tree. He fails, the ball rebounding into his face before it dissipates. "Darn it," he mutters.

"Better luck next time," I laugh. I lead them to the back yard. "Welcome to ring slingin' 101," I begin, quoting Kilowog from Green Lantern. "Dad is away with Agent 13, so we have till late. First we'll demonstrate our powers, then get started on the basics. Teri, start us off." She takes a deep breath, and then lets out a scream. Luckily I protect the windows with a wall. "Good job. Lisa, you're up next." Lisa waves her hand over a puddle. The water swirls in the air before falling back into the puddle. The look on her face…it's like she's been trusted with a great secret. Okay then. Moving on. "Show us what you can do," I say to Miguel. He eagerly steps up. Miguel summons a shadow ball and launches it over the fence. The sun makes it melt away. Still, he made it with nothing but the small shadows in the afternoon sun. Cool.

"Alrightie then. Your powers are all awesome. To get the serious stuff out of the way, there are moral codes. Rules, if you may. You know how Spider-Man lives by the great power thing? That's what I mean. Choose your own, then live by them. They ridicule what you do, your actions, reactions, all that. Also, eventually you will have to make some tough decisions. Your choices reflect who you are. Public perception is always changing. J. Jonah Jameson makes sure of that. People like Dad and Tony Stark are always in a good light; Spider-Man and the X-Men are 'menaces.' Teri will find that to be true, her father being Banshee. Be ready for anything.

"Serious stuff-done. Showing off-done. Basics-in progress. Now, all of your powers are similar. They require aim. It helps to point your body where you want it to go. Like this…" I demonstrate everything I teach, exaggerating the body movements. Blue energy balls hit the targets dead on. Lisa goes. She picks it up fast. Miguel takes a little more time. Teri has a knack for it. She's a natural. Before I know it it's time for dinner. "You guys did good today," I say. A pizza and sodas hover on a blue tray.

"Come on. I'm so ready to become a superhero!" Miguel exclaims.

"Yeah, totally," agrees Teri.

We dig in. I flip on the TV for background noise and settle for a random game show. "What would our names be?" Lisa asks suddenly.

"Like codenames?" Miguel clarifies.

"Uh-huh. I was thinking…H2O. It's sciencey, and I'm a science nut, so it fits."

"It does. Hmm…I like Siryn. With a y. Unique."

"Dark Force's the name. Shadows are dark, and it's a force. I think. My name is meant to be awesome. Don't mess with it."

Teri smirks. "Nice try, Miguel. Nikki, what about you?"

I pause to consider the options. To tell the truth, I've never thought about it. I always live in the present, training and hanging, typical teenage things. Recently, all I've been thinking about is the dance on Friday. "I really have no-"

The game show switching to a sudden news report cuts me off. "All programs have been interrupted for live, up-to-date footage," a male reporter informs us. An image flashes across the screen. Mile upon mile of land is destroyed. Houses, sidewalks, everything. Ruined buildings are so far gone it's a wonder some of the foundations stayed in place. "A little over an hour ago the superhero team known as the New Warriors and their camera crew arrived here in Stamford, Connecticut. They were chasing their old foe Nitro through the streets, ignoring the resulting damage. Namorita, the Atlantian, soon caught up with him and they exchanged threats. It was then Nitro unleashed one of his trademark explosions. So far the causality report is believed to be over 600, including a school filled with children. If Nitro survived, he will have to face trial for the deaths of hundreds of innocents. However, not one survivor has been found thus far."

It cuts to an aerial live feed. We sit there in shock, half-filled soda cans in our hands, unfinished schoolwork and a used copy of Moby Dick on the floor. Slowly I regain the ability to speak. "The New Warriors… Camera crew… Ratings?"

"I can't believe it," Teri whispers.

"It's all just…gone," adds Lisa.

"How could Nitro do such a thing?" Miguel says. "Since when could he kill over 600 people?"

Tears leak out of my eyes. I try to stop them. So many gone, and one dead man responsible for all of them… I kneel in front of the TV, staring in utter shock at the devastation. Demolished swing sets, human skeletons… I let the tears flow freely, unable to hold them in as Lisa reaches out to hug me. Miguel and Teri pile on. We stay like that until I hear the faint sounds of a classic Harley-Davidson way off in the distance. "You guys should go now."

They nod and let me lead them to the end of the driveway. Once they've left I watch updates of the site. Who cares about homework when there's this?

Dad parks his cycle in the garage and comes in. His eyes and face are contorted in sorrow. He is just as shocked as me, perhaps more. After all, he is Captain America, and this was an attack on the country he swore to protect. I hug him tightly, ignoring the TV. There's no need for words. This must be how citizens felt after 9/11. We stare in awe. Finally I drag Dad to bed. I change into my pajamas and burrow beneath the blankets with him. "This changes everything, doesn't it?" I ask, snuggling up against him. He needs the extra comfort. I guess I do to. It took forever to stop the crying.

"Yes. The SRA will surely be pushed through faster. This was the last straw."

_SRA?_ I think, confused. _What's that?_ Now might not be the best time to ask. With Dad's hand on my arm, I drift off.

I wake up screaming. Very loudly. A nightmare about a girl who from a distance looks like Teri but up close looked like me. Bright, fiery red hair; eyes as blue as the ocean; the most basic of S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms. Able to create objects of light. Not to mention seeing people's reasons behind their actions. Fighting in World War II with real-life Invaders. Finding out she was one of the world's biggest inspirations. Her never existing here. Blowing up Stamford.

Strong arms wrap around my body. "Nikki! Nikki, what's wrong?"

"Nightmare," I pant. The screams die down to whimpers.

Dad tries to calm me down. "Honey, it's alright. It's just a dream. Don't worry, Daddy's here." He fruitlessly tries to get me quiet for a while.

Eventually I do. Going back to sleep, however, is out of the question. All the next day school is a haze. Little sleep coupled with the trauma certainly makes me worse for wear. Teachers let us slack off; nobody pays attention. Most of the televisions are on, tuned in to news programs. The day started out fine, just with a few extra hateful glances that I'm too tired to fully comprehend. As the day goes on, the glances turn into full-out glares, taunts, and even some fistfights. At the end of fourth period Teri is thrust between several open lockers. A bully corners her. I shove my way to the front of the ring.

"It's 'cause of hero scum like you," he says, raising a fist.

Teri opens her mouth to scream, but luckily regains enough control to stop herself. Her powers are so uncontrolled the minute she raises her voice above a normal volume sonic screams are activated. Before his fist connects I'm standing next to them, holding his hand, my eyes flashing blue. I twist my wrist. "No fighting," I say.

He whimpers a little in pain, but not enough to back down. "Your kind did it. You killed little kids! A school! _Bastards!_"

My eyes widen. Normally people stop out of fear or respect. "Theresa and I had no part in Stamford. No part. Leave us alone." One final twist and I let go. Then I blow up a field, forcing the crowd apart so we can leave. "Are you okay?" I ask Teri.

"Yeah. I'm fine." No sooner than the words leave her mouth does she bolt for the exit.

_Now they're blaming us?_ _Why?_ I think, making my way to the cafeteria. It won't be long until the principal hears about this. That means detention, maybe suspension. Certainly a call home. I really don't want to deal with that right now. Not with all the pressure, all the stress Dad is under. He doesn't need to deal with an unruly child when he is organizing the Resistance. Getting Wiccan was bad enough.

At lunch I opt for a corner of the cafeteria instead of outside with Lisa and Miguel. I'm less conspicuous alone. Afterwards I go to class; one of the more boring classes taught by one of the meaner teachers, so I pull out my journal and begin writing.

_The dance is tomorrow. It should be fun. It better be. We all need the distraction. Tuesday, April 17, will forever be remembered. Nitro made sure of that. For some reason people are going after us, super humans in general. It doesn't make any sense. We had no connections with the New Warriors, though Dad and I are going to a service Saturday night. I'm making a costume and everything. Ugh. I can't talk about that any longer. Anyway, I have a dress picked out and everything. At first, I was like, no way. But you know Aunt Janet. An excuse to model one of her creations? Certainly. Do I really want to? No. But hey, anything to make her happy. The fights with Uncle Hank must be hard to deal with._

_I had another one of those nightmares last night. This time set in World War II. I think her name was Nicolette Storm. She was a member of the Invaders, and honorably mentioned with the Liberty Legion. Of course, after her death. Storm's parents ditched her when she was a toddler. Raising herself on the streets, she was brought to the army by a different version of Dad. She fought and fought, more than a young girl should ever have to. Eventually all the fighting led to her death. It ended with, of course, the explosion._

_Off topic, I know. But I researched the SRA Dad mentioned last night. SRA stands for Superhuman Registration Act. It was already in place, but come the explosion, Congress pushed it. They plan to have it in action by Saturday. You have until midnight to do whatever they want you to. Then they bring in the law enforcement. Possibly S.H.-_

"Rodgers," the teacher snaps. "Name the first ruler of the Atlantian throne." She has to be the only teacher in the ninth grade making us learn.

"Uh…Namor?" I guess, honestly not knowing the answer.

"No, Miss Rodgers. The first ruler was Kull."

At ruler I zone out. The bell rings, but in the hallway, another sophomore tries to attack me. I manage to get away, running past the principal and out the closest door. Ignoring the stares, I keep my eyes down so no one sees the glow and goes after me. I am so done with that school. Outside Avengers Tower an angry mob protests, holding signs demanding heroes register. I speed up a bit and hope nobody spots me. Home is empty. Dad must be off dealing with the Registration. After ditching my stuff I curl up in bed. My phone buzzes near constantly. My best friend's ringtones a few times, Dad's more. I disregard everyone. Dad may be panicking, but worrying over me isn't making anything better. The home phone rings too, the principal.

"_We're sorry to inform you, Mr. Rodgers, that your daughter participated in a fight and left unattended in the middle of the school day. From my understanding Miss Rodgers was sticking up for a friend, but her behavior is less than exceptional. Please call back to discuss this more." _

That's going to play out well. An hour later Dad gets home. He walks in, replays the message. Picks up the phone to call back, puts it back down. Makes a weird noise.

"Nikki? You there?" I give no indication. He follows the sounds of my phone to my room and stands in the doorway. "What's that call about?"

"You heard it," I mutter.

"What I meant to say was why. Why were you fighting? I expect better from you."

"A kid went after Teri. I saved her. Kids and teachers alike are acting weird. The kids hate us. Not just the New Warriors. Everybody. Me, Teri, anybody who makes their powers public. They hate us for something we didn't do."

"In the public's eye, we're all related. Not by blood, but superheroes are responsible for each other. They hate us because they think we could have stopped them."

"I still don't get it. Does that mean we'll have to register?"

"Hopefully no." He pulls off his mask. "Teri won't, if she's smart. The minute you step out in costume Uncle Tony will make you. I'll stall, but eventually you will have to."

"I'm scared, Dad."

"Me too, Nikki." He leaves to call back the principal, explaining my sadness over Stamford and sticking up for Teri was a good thing. I hope things smooth over by Friday.

o8o

For the rest of the week and most of Friday I stay in la la land. Friday evening after dinner I get ready for the dance. Gloves, shoes, jewelry, and makeup sit on my bed. While searching for my dress in my closet, I find the evening gown given to me on my seventh birthday. An idea comes to mind concerning my costume I still haven't started. Grinning, I lay the way-too-short dress next to the makeup. Hurriedly I get dressed. Then I twist my hair into a bun, placing the blue in thin strips. One last glance in the mirror tells me everything is perfect. The makeup goes in a drawer. All available dresser/nightstand space is dedicated to action figures. Dazzler and Captain America take center stage, standing on either side of a family photo. It was taken when I was still a baby, before Mom left. Before Dad can pester me I grab a handbag and rush to the door. "How do I look?" I ask.

"Beautiful," Dad answers with a sigh. "I can't believe my little girl is growing up."

A limo parks at the edge of the property. Perfect timing. "Come on, Nikki!" Kate calls out. She sticks her head out the window.

"Coming!" Once comfortably inside, I add, "Perfect timing, as usual."

"All part of the trade," Kate replies with a wry grin. Of course she looks stunning, clothed in bright yellow fabric.

Kate should be at college, but she's on spring break. She did so much work to benefit the high school they invited her back any time. No one can say no to her. Our spring break starts next week. "This is the way to make an entrance," I comment. I'm too modest to ask Dad for a limo ride, who's too modest to ask Uncle Tony. Your father being an Avenger does have its perks. People stare when we get dropped off up front. My blue and mint green ensemble compares to Kate's. Kate goes off to flirt with some boys. I find my friends. We dance, and chat, and pull pranks on everybody. The last slow song they play, "Someone Like You," is spent swaying in Miguel's arms. At the end he seems hesitant to let go. I pry him off with a promise of calling him later. That keeps him satisfied.

On the way home we get stuck in traffic. "Excuse me?" Kate asks the chauffeur. "What's going on?"

"There appears to be some sort of commotion going on up ahead," he replies.

From where I'm sitting I can't see a thing. I step out onto the sidewalk. Ignoring Kate's cries of "Where are you going?" I walk closer. Some common crooks opened gunfire on the cops. They are led by Bullseye. He keeps screaming.

"This is a jailbreak! Give me all members of the Hand or they get it!"

Villain holding cops at gunpoint. Not good. Goons threatening to shoot passerby. Really not good. This is where all those years of training pay off. First I take out the goons with well-aimed kicks. Then I head for Bullseye. The idiot doesn't even realize his men are unconscious. _Idiot!_ I make a glittering blue dome surround his head.

"What the-" he gets out before passing out from lack of oxygen.

Some police officers come over to me. They squint; I guess I subconsciously created a bright light around my body. It prevents anybody from seeing my face. "Nice work!" one of the cops congratulates me. "That just saved us a boatload of trouble," another one adds.

"All in a day's work," I laugh. "If you don't mind, Officers, I really should be going now." Before they can ask my name, I bolt back to the limo.

"What were you doing?" Kate asks.

"Let's just say I made New York City a safer place to live for a few hours." It's true. There's always some new crime lord aiming to stake out claims. Leave the aliens and madmen from the future to the Avengers. B-list heroes like me deal with the small fry. Criminals, be warned. There's a new player in town.


	3. Uncertainty

**Uncertainty**

I come home to an empty house. Good. What I'm about to do will work best when I'm alone. I want to keep my costume a surprise. First I shower and change into my pajamas. Then I locate thread and scissors. My old dress is still lying on my bed. I sit on the floor and begin cutting away at the black fabric. I cut out a belly shirt, shorts, and elbow-length gloves. I had to cut the shirt short; I've hit a couple major growth spurts since then. Picking up a spool of blue thread, I sew a design on the shirt while thinking, _I never thought I'd ever appreciate those sewing units in Home Ec. _Several moments later I twirl in front of a mirror. _You did good, Nikki. Wait. It needs something. Duh! Shoes!_ I search my closet, finding a suitable pair of black ankle boots. _Alright, now I'm done._ I peel off my creation, pull back on my , hide the sewing materials, and go to sleep.

The next morning I am woken up by those cursed birds. I do my morning routine and disappear into the bathroom. Dad must be downstairs, waiting for me to drag myself out of the shower. He knows I hate this sort of thing. I'd much rather be in church or something. It takes a lot of convincing, but I manage to get myself out and dressed. Downstairs I twirl for Dad.

"I like it," he complements, leaving to give me time for a quick breakfast.

I prepare a bowl of cereal and flip on the television. Done with the cereal, I take care of the bowl. _Yawn! _I hate mornings. I switch to the news and pick up the phone to call Miguel. He answers in two rings.

"Hey, what's shakin'? Thought you'd collect that phone call?"

"You know me, Miguel. Honest as Dad. But this has to be fast. We're going to the service in Stamford." We chat about everything, lingering on Stamford. Everything now leads back to the destroyed town. All the while I flip through channels so fast you would need a super-memory to process the programs. Which I have. My eyes glow blue. Suddenly I hear something that makes me pause. I drop off in the middle of a sentence.

"Nikki, what's up? Did you hang up on me?"

"Put on channel 89. There's something you should see."

In the background I hear the remote. I focus on the voiceover. "-strange occurrence in front of the New York City Police Headquarters. The super-villain known as Bullseye demanded the release of several members of the assassins group known as the Hand. He held several officers at gunpoint. It seemed like a lost cause when this came to help." The video fast forwards to a glowing blue figure. It takes out the bad guys one by one. "All officers were saved. They generously shared with us insider's statements and a preliminary draft." A sketch comes on. They must have imagined what she looked like without the glow. She has black hair, ample curves, slender legs, and is wearing some green bodysuit of sorts. "Captain Henderson would like to thank their mysterious savior. 'Whoever you are, wherever you came from, thank you. We owe you one. Police Captain Bob Henderson, at your service!' We all appreciate your actions, mystery woman. With NYN, this is Maria Mermaidico."

I actually made the news! But wait. Dad is going to be so ticked. He's always so protective. There's no way he'll let me be a superhero by myself. No way. My point is proven when Dad and I stand together in the back yard. I create a bubble and float us to Connecticut.

"Where were you last night after the dance?" he demands sternly when we pass the New York border.

"Stuck in traffic," I answer hesitantly. _Yep. I was right._

"Why were you in front of the police station?"

He got me. "Taking out the bad guys."

"You know I told you not to do that."

"Come on, Dad! You train me, you give me morals, and you expect me not to follow in your footsteps?"

"Eventually, yes. I would love that. But you're not ready. Not without me there. You know what happened after that triathlon!"

"That was a triathlon, Dad! Not day-to-day life."

"I don't care. This isn't something you can quit whenever you want. If you're in it, you're in it for life."

"My point exactly. Why won't you let me do it, Dad? Why?"

"Because…because…because I'm scared you're going to get hurt."

"I can take care of myself! I'm not a baby! I can help you! This Registration act can't be good!"

"How'd you find out about that?"

"I'm not dumb! You're gonna have to register; everybody will! If not, you'll get arrested!"

"You're still not doing this, Nikki."

"What would Mom say?"

I hit a nerve. He mumbles something unintelligible as he turns his head.

I give him some time to simmer down. I almost never bring up Mom anymore. "Dad?" I ask a few minutes later.

"Yes," he whispers so softly I can barely hear it.

He looks at me with a faraway expression. He must be thinking about his friends that died in the line of fire. "Look," I begin, "I'm truly sorry about that…disagreement earlier. But I'm not talking about Bullseye."

Noticing my awkwardness, Dad motions for me to hug him. "Oh, Nikki," he sighs once my arm is around him. "You're as honest as the day is long. But I'm not without blame. It's my fault I am so overprotective over you. I want you to grow, but I don't let you be who you want to be. What kind of father am I? Being a hero is dangerous, but if you think you're ready, you are. Without me present to protect you."

"I am, Dad. I can help you with this registration thing. I heard you're gathering a resistance. Any job that needs to be done, I can do it."

"It's just you're the only family I have left. All my friends from the war are dead, Bucky is an assassin, and your Aunt Sharon is always on classified missions. After you mother died, I realized I can't let you go. If you were to get hurt or… I don't know what I'd do.

"If you really want to help, there is something you can do. Since you're new to this, and therefore unrecognized, you can act as a spy. Join Uncle Tony, register, but all the while reporting back to me. Do not give any indication that you're not really on their side. Act like you're one of them. Pretend that despite you're the only child of Captain America, you couldn't stand my beliefs. That will keep you safe. You with me?"

"Yep." In a whisper, I add, "You're the best father anybody could ask for." He grins. For the rest of the trip, we stay in each other's arms. When we reach the church, I bring us to the ground in the middle of a group of Avengers. Uncle Tony resists pushing these people to register for the time being. We go in and sit in a front pew, in a space held by Falcon. The sermon is beautiful. The minister carries on without pause for the better part of an hour. I glance around to notice Dad glaring at somebody. His gaze is riveted at Uncle Tony. Though there are only a few people here in costume, Dad and I included, I recognize a bunch in their civvies. I wonder why that is.

Outside the church after the sermon we linger. I stand and talk with Peter Parker, but Uncle Tony pulls him aside. He squints a bit at the glow. Dad decided to have me produce a faint glow around my body, not enough to blind you, but enough to hide my features. Before I head to Falcon (very odd to see him without wings) I spot Dad comforting some firemen. This must be really upsetting. I answer some questions. He's been over enough to realize this whole thing makes me want to cry. I hold myself together, though, and last until Dad says it's okay to leave. I drop him off at the Helicarrier before making my way to the Baxter Building. Under the pretense of babysitting Franklin and Valeria, I'm supposed to spy on a meeting held there. I enter to let Mrs. Richards know I'm there. She leaves; I let the kids know we're playing hide-and-seek. I hide in an air vent above the meeting room and listen in.

A discussion starts. They go back and forth, debating the morality of the Registration Act. I hear Franklin complain about my hiding spot, so I exit the duct. Mrs. Richards comes back from the hospital, I leave.

o8o

After dinner Dad stays to watch the evening news, which focuses on the Registration Act, then leaves. "This is the last time I can go outside in costume without getting arrested. At midnight they'll send in enforcements. They can't find me here," he explains. "I'll come back to make sure you're set."

It makes sense. If worse comes to worse, the Resistance will need a safe house. Though this place won't be much good for the big names, since Uncle Tony had it built and knows pretty much everything about it. He might even know everything about us. I really hope Dad didn't tell him what I think he told him. That would not be good. I end up writing in my journal with nothing better to do. _Hi again. Wow. Almost every day this week I've talked to you. Double wow: I'm officially fighting in a war. As an actual spy. As in, joining Uncle Tony and reporting his Intel. I'm actually kind of excited. Any who, soon the Act will kick in. I have a feeling it will split the superhero community right down the middle. People like Dad fighting for freedom, people like Uncle Tony fighting for control. I wonder who agrees with this. Anybody who resists has a leader, at least, which is a good thing. Now I'm a spy in some dispute affecting all our lives. The thing is, if anybody finds out I'm a double agent, I'm dead. Any respect for my last name will be thrown out the window. They don't care. Even more importantly, they'll get to Dad. Even worse. This lie has to hold so Dad is protected. Doesn't matter if I make it out unscathed, I'm a nobody in this fight. Dad's the leader in a freaking rebellion. That is way more important than anything I'll ever do._

_Freedom Fighter keeps haunting me. Every night is a different day of her life. Mainly military training and education. I learned some new tactics from her. For an eight-year-old she fights well. Too well. She saw more violence in a year than most people do in a life time. You know, Uncle Hank told me to write down all my disturbing dreams. Now my life is the disturbing dream, and my dreams are my normal life. Like everything is backwards. Inception. This must be how the big-time heroes feel. Those who fought for years protecting America now have to work for the government just to do what they do best. Enticed with promises of health care benefits and a steady paycheck. Doesn't make sense when so many Americans are out of work. Yes, precious few politicians like Senator Lieber are against it. The majority are with it. If we fail, we're screwed. We get locked up in the Negative Zone until we…_

"Rise and shine, trooper!" Dad shouts, waking me from a deep slumber.

_What the…_ I lift my head from the leather bound journal. Why is Dad talking to me like this? I stumble out of bed to do the warm ups. Half-way through the pull-ups using a glittering blue bar, it clicks. This is my last normal morning and Dad wants to keep it that way. Still putting me before anything else. The truth is there, the elephant in my fairly large bedroom. We both know one of us isn't going to make it out alive. And that someone will probably be me. Considering all the heavy hitters are choosing sides. Even if Thor is dead.

Breakfast is simple. Then I change into my costume and stare at a picture of Dad and I fishing. It was taken about a month after my powers came. I was as happy as can be. Shaking myself, I run downstairs to say goodbye to Dad. This is the last time I'll see him in person in who knows how long. He gives me an old scrambler for secret communication. Then I jog to Avengers Tower, struggling to hold back tears. I'm terrified. There are no protesters out front, and a quick scan reveals no one but Jarvis and some maids are inside. Huh. _Maybe the Helicarrier…_ I climb the nearest high rise searching for the massive hunk of metal. Way off in the distance, near the coast._ They never make it easy, do they?_ I leap to a landing pad. Definitely not deserted. _Why not show off? It might help._ I back up to make it look like I just landed, flipping and cartwheeling through the air. _Sure feels impressive._ As a grand finale I jump through an automatic window, taking a pane of glass with me. Peeking up from my knee, I spot Maria Hill glaring at me. "Agent Hill," I say. I give a salute.

Still glaring, she demands, "What do you think you're doing? You could have entered through one of Stark's drop-offs without the flare. And who's going to pay for that window?"

"Yes ma'am." I back up a step. "I've come to register, Ms. Hill. A little entertainment doesn't hurt anybody."

"Glad to see you. Right this way." She leads me into a waiting room and hands me a stack of paperwork. "Oh, and FYI, stunts like that are not acceptable. You hear me?"

"Loud and clear." The first page or so is easy.

_Name: Nikki Alison Janice Rodgers. _

_Alias: Rebel_

_D.O.B.: April 16, 1997_

_Superhuman Relatives: Captain America, Dazzler. _

_Powers: Enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, agility, endurance, senses, memory; atom channeling. _

_Non-Superhuman Abilities: N/A. _

_Occupation: Ninth grade student. _

_Place of Residence: Suburbs of New York City. _

_Affiliations: N/A. _

_Level of Experience: Seven years of intense training, four months of officially fighting crime with Captain America. _

After that, they get harder, like, _Why are you a protector/enemy of justice? What describes you?_ Jeez, these would make the Riddler proud. Once all the questions are answered, Agent Hill comes to collect me.

"So, Miss…" She glances at a paper. "Rodgers. Nice to see another person coming to their senses." Maria leads me to a personal transport pre-programed for Stark Tower. All the while she mutters things about "Daughter of America" and "Betraying Our One True Soldier."

Already inside, I can barely hear her. It flies me to the Tower; I hesitantly make my way inside. Pro-Reg posters hang everywhere. Heroes and, surprisingly, villains, buzz around. The main Intel center isn't hard to find. Inside, there are so many people I admire I begin to hyperventilate. _Sentry actually looked at me!_ So much so Uncle Tony has to yell my name four times until I respond.

"REBEL!"

"Yeah?" I say, blinking a few times. Still not used to being called by a codename. My whole life it's been "Nikki" or if I got in trouble at school its "Rodgers!" Never Rebel. Though me and Dad decided it would be best. It fits. Ms. Hill thinks I'm just a rebellious person, but it has deeper meanings. Plus it sounds cool.

"Welcome to Stark Tower. Normally I would give you the tour, but we're busy at the moment. You are now, too. I need you to gather some info from Songbird."

"Right away, Un- Iron Man." I almost called him Uncle Tony! Bad Nikki. It's fine if a few people realize my name is Nikki Rodgers, but if it becomes public knowledge, there goes secrecy. Even most of the Resistance does not know.

Songbird is on the 37 floor. I tap my new high-tech wristwatch and pull up her stats. This watch is pretty cool. I should check it out later. "Uh, Songbird? Ms. Gold? Iron Man needs info about the news?"

Melissa looks me over. "You're the new kid. Huh. I thought you would be younger. Here you go." Handing me a flash drive, she turns back to the computer.

I reenter the elevator. I tap the watch and type in my codename. Being a direct hit, my file is the first on the list. I click it. Coupled with my smiling face is my info in 30 seconds or less format.

_Subject: Nikki Rodgers_

_Aliases: Rebel_

_Group Affiliation: none_

_Powers: atom manipulation, heightened senses, faint healing factor, photo-capture memory, boosted strength, speed, reflexes, agility_

_Power Type: inborn_

_Current Location: New York, NY _

All day its simple tasks like fetching stuff, helping Heather Hawk, the X-Man Energy Drainer, go through medical files. The most exciting thing was going to Iron Man's lab. That was pretty interesting. Taught how Tony Stark becomes Iron Man and some of his inner secrets can only help Dad. When we leave I hook the scrambler to the communicator and tap it. "Hello?"

"Nikki, it hasn't even been a day. What's up?"

"Just took a tour of the famed Stark Lab. He updated his suits, go for the helmet."

"Great. One second-not there, Speed! I'll be there in a minute-I can't talk much longer. What are you doing?"

"Sifting through all the medical files of the people who registered for Miss Hawk."

"Which one?"

"The energy one."

"Oh, good Lord…"

"I know that's a bad thing, one less person for you, but why?"

"Her powers are something we don't want used against us. With one hand she grants energy, with the other, she takes it away. Just imagine how that could turn the tides on a battlefield."

"I get it."

"Keep me posted. I love you."

"Love you to." With that I tap the earpiece and go back to the files.

o8o

Finally on the sixth day I'm allowed to do field work. At first I give some newbies a tour, including some big names like Black Widow, Electro, Permafrost, and Mamba. Their names pop up when I need them: Natasha Romanoff, Max Dillon, Yseult Addie, and Eric Castro. Permafrost seems to like me. Then we watch Spider-Man reveal he's Peter Parker on TV. During the afternoon there's a prisoner transport. Mr. Richards explains the Negative Zone to us just so we know before we leave.

"To put it simply, Project 42 is a containment system based in the Negative Zone designed to hold people who have yet to realize they're on the wrong side. Iron Man, Yellowjacket, and I designed it. Don't worry; this is not meant to be inhumane. Every cell is created for a specific inmate. Each will be released when they agree to register. But some will be locked up for a very long time."

That's all I can understand. Technical jargon isn't my strong suit. From the sound of it, this place does seem rather inhumane. Contradicting everything Mr. Fantastic said. Maybe it's my inexperience talking. The looks on some of the other's faces suggest they don't like it either. Weird. Contemplating about Project 42, I hitch a ride on a police car for the prisoner transport. Sirens blare. Lights flash. Citizens, some booing, some cheering, crowd the streets. People in the upper floors of apartment buildings throw random objects at us. A shield of my doing blocks most of them.

"Rebel!" Uncle Tony calls from the air. "Take the truck! We need more muscle there!"

I obey his command and jump onto the truck. _This is Spider-Man's old position,_ I remember. Everything goes according to plan until Baton pauses. The trucks do too. She yells that she can sense vibrations beneath the pavement. No sooner that she gets that out does Cloak teleport several heroes right in front of the convoy. Dad is among them. The trucks swerve to avoid them. Most topple over. I jump off and do my best to keep the prisoners in. Better keep up appearances. We're still on week one, no sense in blowing our cover.

Penny, the Pink Rose, swoops down and tries to blast her way through my energy reinforcements. "Thy traitor! Do not defend the unjust!"

Though I want so badly to shout "I'm really on your side! This is just an act!" I instead yell, "You're the one who's wrong, disobeying the government and refusing registration!" That sounds good. This is gonna be so hard. Man, this _bites_. I'm facing off against the Pink Rose, for crying out loud. She can fly, and make energy blasts, and even mess with freaking molecules. Molecules! She tries that, I'm screwed. Being dropped from hundreds of feet in the air? Yeah, I can handle that. Energy blasts to various body parts? I can deal with that too. But screwing with my body? No way. No frickin' way.

"Thy eyes," she comments as she pulls me up into the air, "suggest reluctance. Is thee fighting unwillingly?"

_Should I give it away or not? Risk blowing my cover, revealing I'm a spy, or let every rebel know I'm not in it for the money?_ "Let's just leave it at this. This is going to hurt me a lot more than it will hurt you."

Peering into my eyes, Penny adds, "Thy eyes are not unfamiliar. Are thee the kin of the Captain America and Dazzler?"

_Shoot!_ I forgot all about that tiny detail. When I use my powers, both Mom's and Dad's, my eyes turn blue, the same shade as my parents. A dead giveaway. _Shoot!_ That was one of the first war lessons I ever learned from Dad. Your eyes give everything away. Forgetting the details can get you killed. "I'm so sorry," I apologize. A head butt and side kick later, she's plummeting to Earth like a pink comet. The look on her face reminds me of us after Stamford. It's killing me. I catch her with a giant hand. Starliner catches me before I hit the ground. She drops me on Icelist, a member of the Thunderbolts (why the heck is she here?), and she greets me with an icicle. I manage to dodge the pointy end, but the cold material still brushes my skin. Goosebumps shoot up my back.

Once Rachel's taken care of, I move on to trying as hard as I can to stay out of the battle. I'm forced to fight when someone hurls a water bubble at me. Whirling around, I see a tanned teenage girl behind a thick wall of water, shooting blasts at me. I shoot blast after blast to no avail. I move a bit closer. The girl shifts position, and in doing so, reveals her face. _My God! It's Lisa! What's she doing here, joining the Capes War Parade?_ Let someone else deal with it; I refuse to apprehend one of my best friends. Everglade will find her eventually. I dart to an ally. Eventually Dad is thrown in my direction. I catch him.

"Nikki? What on Earth are you doing here?" he asks, taking out somebody with his shield. Red, white, and blue glint in the sharp afternoon sunlight.

"They were low on volunteers, they needed extra power."

"What for?"

"Transport. Ever since Spider-Man defected people have been striking out like crazy."

"Anything new?"

"They're sending prisoners to the Negative Zone. They only leave if they register. Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, and Yellowjacket helped build it. More and more heroes and villains are signing up every day, but it's still not enough. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s split down the middle. Those who resist call themselves the White Star. They're going to join you. Iron Man is under Maria Hill's control. The president is a bundle of nerves. And the Pink Rose recognized me."

Thank God I gave the summarized version; Translate tries to kick my stomach. The blow lands and I'm sent flying into a car. The window cracks. My head slams into the door handle. Jeez, that hurts like heck. As payback I send her high into the air. That takes care of Sydney von Haarlem. The rest of the time I hardly fight, landing just enough punches to cast away suspicion. By the time the sun sets, the Resistance leaves, taking some rebels with them. I attempt to help with the clean-up, my back aching, waiting for the accelerated healing to kick in. Mr. Richards sends me home at about eleven, my youngness awaking his parental instincts. Good thing, too. I'm exhausted.

At home the doors are locked, but the screen door is ajar. My first thought is a break-in until I remember our house is a safe house. The fridge and cabinets are almost empty. Dishes fill the sink. In the living room the TV remote is under a chair. A table lamp is on. I grab an ice cream bar and head upstairs. A package of toothbrushes sits on the sink. Towels cover the floor. Dad's bedroom has obviously been used. The sheets are undone. Pillows and blankets are on the floor. My bedroom door is open. Thankfully all my stuff is in place, just like with Dad's scrapbooks and memorabilia. The only difference is my bed was slept in and someone's costume is on the floor. It looks suspiciously like Sprite's.

I lie in bed, alone in a deserted house, staring at Alpha Flight and League of Shadows posters. Nova and Green Lantern Corps pictures. Checkmate and X-Statix action figures. Hush and Venom frames. The quiet lets me notice how hard my heart is beating. Still affected by that stupid hole. Finally the ibuprofen kicks in, and I pass out.

o8o

_Attacks on Project 42 and transports occurred frequently over the past few weeks. It seems every time we capture someone new they know about it, and I have no part in telling Dad. Dad must be really getting desperate. His group isn't that big to begin with. The longer the SRA stays in action, the more people are pressured into signing up. More and more show up every day. This means the rebels are losing potential hitters. On the other hand, Uncle Tony is convinced there's a traitor. He's right. Though that means I've been sloppy. Let my guard down enough for others to realize my intentions might not be what I say they are. Any day now he might figure out Rebel is the betrayer. It's already been extremely difficult keeping my identity secret from the population at large. Nikki Rodgers must not be Rebel. No matter how many times I tell myself that, I still mess up. I try to stay out of as many battles as I can. It's hard, since big shots deemed me powerful, perfect for keeping the captured in check. Lucky me. Not to mention my acting skills took a considerable drop when I found out Uncle Tony doubts me. They should have gotten better, but no, they had to get worse. Typical. I'm now on his list of possible traitors. Whoop-de-do._

_A little over a week ago we set a trap at an old chemical plant. Dad thought people were trapped, but when they came, we showed up. The battle was fierce. I managed to hold up against U.S.A. (an alien from Kyaia named Cristina Ole with adaptability powers), Eternal (a woman named Aurora Lilgani possessing limited immortality and god-like powers), Daredevil, and Patriot. That surprised me. We even arrested a few. But the worst part came when Uncle Tony called in a clone they made of Thor. It was crazy powerful and…and… I can hardly write these words. It killed Bill Foster. Goliath. Threw its hammer straight through his chest. Gone in a heartbeat. That really struck home for a lot of people. People die in wars and it made this whole thing reveal its true colors. I don't know about the others, but Goliath's…departure was a real eye-opener. We're playing with the big boys now. Honestly, that fact scares the crap out of me._

_Today marks the one month anniversary of the Civil War. A month full of fighting, convincing, and pain. Teri signed up a couple of days ago. That's not so bad, since she's fighting with her dad. Out of my other two best friends, Miguel joined Dad. He'll protect him for my sake. But the worse part? Lisa is now a convicted criminal. The water person I saw at the first transport really was her. A young woman wearing a shimmering water-like swimsuit calling herself H2O was spotted robbing a jeweler's tent at a craft fair. Nothing major. The point is Lisa tried-and succeeded. This-this is unbelievable._

"I got that power.  
I got that power.  
I got that power.  
Power power power  
And I'm loving every second minute hour bigger better stronger power  
And I'm loving every second minute hour bigger better stronger power."

As will. and Justin Bieber's new hit "#Thatpower" closes, Foster the People's latest begins playing.

"_Yeah! He found a six-shooter gun in his dad's closet, with the box of fun things.__  
_I don't even know what, but he's coming for you, yeah, he's coming for you!  
_  
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks  
You better run, better run, outrun my gun.  
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks  
You better run, better run, faster than my bullet."_

There's "Pumped Up Kicks" for ya. I shut the alarm off and lay my journal off to the side. Nobody better find that. It has every piece of info I have told Dad, enough to fill several pages. Dumb idea, now that I think about it. Hurriedly I pull on my costume, throw a sweatshirt overtop, and grab a breakfast bar from the pantry. I rummage through a dresser drawer for the credit card. Only I know how to use it, so Dad mostly uses cash unless I finally agree to go shopping. Anyway, I pocket the card and go to the nearest shopping center. I try to get a variety, since so many different people are coming and going through our kitchen. At the checkout the cashier looks me over, noticing my younger-than-15 face, allowing me to swipe the card nonetheless. Back at home I put everything away. Then I run to Stark Tower. Inside it's chaotic. Machines beeping, people running, papers flying. "What the heck is going on?" I shout over the noise.

Animal Woman pauses and answers, "Tony caught wind of a rebel attack. We're sure they're on the move as we speak."

Before she can scurry away, Uncle Tony yells, "Everybody out! They're here!"


	4. Final

**Final **

Some vouch for the doors, some for the roof. Flying would be nice right now. Me? I jump out a window. I catch myself with springs. Who needs to fly when you can do this? They send me summersaulting through the street. By the time I stop rolling I'm up front. Those that are already in place, our initial stance being rehearsed in case something like this would ever happen, are behind me. They don't care I'm out of place; one more person protecting them. So much for being selfless. Great. Just what I need. Front-row tickets to Disastertown. 'Cause this isn't gonna turn out hunky-dory. The SRA butchered every feeling of trust, of friendship. People won't be making it out of here alive. That much is certain. How many, though, remains a mystery. And who. For all we know Hercules could go down. God, I hope he ignores me. I really don't want to be pounded by a demigod. He has the strength to smash me into pieces so small they would fit in a blender. Please ignore me. Same with everybody else.

Thunder booms. Dark clouds gather on the horizon. Lightning flashes. Wind tangles our hair. Storm keeps the storm clouds over us. Raindrops begin to fall. Uncle Tony talks to Dad. Dad lands the first punch. Chaos ensues.

The heroes I once admired-still admire-prove that years of fighting, winning, and celebrating together can disappear in a heartbeat. The best of friends break every promise they ever made, all in the name of defending their beliefs. Friends against friends, brother against brother. How they do this without turning away in disgust amazes me. Makes me doubt everything I thought I knew about these people. This will change things for years to come. Nothing will ever be the same.

I launch myself at Ticklehair. She's out before she hits the ground, thanks to a quick blast. Her wild hair doesn't even leave a mark.

Next I attack Lightmaster. She puts up a good fight, getting some hits in, even a gash across my forehead. It hurts, but I throw her against a wall. I can feel the glow around my face flickering. Pretty soon all the effort I put into keeping my identity a secret will be for nothing. I hope nobody's looking out the windows. I turn around only to hear Dandelion stand up and dive at my legs. I jump and create a wall several feet away. She crashes into it head-on. _Ouch!_ I walk a bit closer to see her crumpled against the would-be wall. Armory flies past. It disappears as soon as I close my hand, but she still doesn't get up. "Ms. Maxwell?" I whisper, unable to be heard by anybody. "Lightmaster? Dandelion?" After she doesn't respond after all the different names I know she has, I give up. _What if…what if I killed her? What if she doesn't wake up?_ I panic, then remember freaking out would only give me away. But there's no stopping me from worrying. _I killed somebody! How am I going to live with myself? How?!_

The fight goes on and on. When I face off against Venom, the nanites Iron Man used to control the villains (namely the Thunderbolts) having gone haywire, he dives for my head. No way in heck he's gonna bite my head off. Not now. There's still work to do. Still, I'm not strong enough to completely defect the blow. Instead of my head, Eddie's teeth are pushed down by a bar and instead connect with my stomach. A chunk of my flesh is now in Venom's mouth, being ripped to shreds. _Eww. How gross is that? _I almost throw up on him. I can sense the human inside retreating a little at my green face, but the symbiote pushes forwards. Luckily Nightmare comes to my rescue. Surprising, but needed. Poor Venom starts strangling where he stands. Whatever she's making him see better be nasty. I whisper a thank you to Myrandah Jones and carry on. The bleeding slows thanks to an internal energy bandage. It still hurts-a lot. _How do people fight when they feel like this?_ I may never know.

Up next is Mysterio. Should be a piece of cake, actually turns out to be a problem. Proves that I've taken a beating. Spider-Man comes and finishes him off. He healed fast. Titania makes a move towards me. As I roll to the left, I see a burned body with bright red hair. Lying sprawled across a dumpster, I check it out. Reality sinks in a few seconds later, when I see her mangled face. It's Teri! _No! God, no, why? Why would you take away my oldest friend? Why?_ Tears roll down my dirty face. _Why? _I check for a pulse. Nothing. Not even a single heartbeat. _She really is gone…_ There's no way I can move her body. The most I can do is whisper a prayer and make the sign of the cross over her chest. She would appreciate it. I have to move on.I slink into a destroyed floral shop, staying in the shadows. I hope Doorman doesn't show up. The flowers droop as a sign of the damage this battle has done. I like to think they're mourning Teri. Some remain upright, hopeful something good will come out of this. Hoping for life.

Blood flows down the vibranium to the floor. It forms a puddle alarmingly big. _How long will this go on? Can it go on?_ Out of nowhere Dad flies past, propelled by Iron Man. They keep punching each other in the face. Limping towards the spot they landed, I notice Uncle Tony pinning Dad down, threatening to blast his face off. His repulsor glows, preparing to do the job. Not on my watch. "No!" I shout over the bedlam, throwing an energy ball at Uncle Tony. After Teri, I'm not watching another person I care about die. I already lost my mother. I'm not losing my father.

"So you're the traitor," he snarls, focusing his attention on me. "Eventually you will pay."

"Yes, I'm the traitor. Yes, you're supporting an act that places good people in jail. Yes, you turned the Land of the Free into a living hell. Yes, you will lose this fight."

"Well, if that's the case…"

Before Iron Man can continue, Dad tackles him, saving me. They go careening off into the house across the street. _I don't have to deal with this anymore. Thank you, Dad!_ Glancing up, I see Magneto flying overhead. He seems to notice me. _God, no!_ He lowers himself a bit and sneers.

"I may never understand why you younger heroes make the decisions you do. You appear to be registered. My dear child, mutant or not, you have to pay for the crime of embracing chaos." With a flick of the hand he pulls me into the air. I can't do a thing. Erik makes me slam against the walls of two buildings, treating me like a rag doll. Then, once he's finished, he drops me to the ground. Fall would be the better word.

Oh my God, did that hurt. Breathing hard, my heart can't keep up with my body. I've already lost so much blood. There's no way I can get up and fight. By now everyone probably knows I'm the traitor and will be gunning against me. Uncle Tony's because I'm a turncoat, Dad's because they'll go after anybody with a file. _What should I do?_

Before I can make a move, Power Gem skids to a halt on the sidewalk. She looks up, notices me. Shoots purple jewels at me. At the same time a shadow blast ricochets off a window and connects with my body. They send me flying into a crumbling building. It's almost enough to make me pass out. I lay still, recovering enough strength to make a run for it. When I do, I move a piece of rubble off my leg and stand. I lean against a wall to catch my breath. Before that happens, the already unstable building shakes from the upper levels down. Someone must have been knocked into it. The building slowly collapses. I barely have time to notice the shadow ball looked exactly like Miguel's.

_Weeks later…_

Ding. Beep. Ding. "Mmm…cut it out," I say sleepily to the dinging noises. "Stop it." Finally annoyed enough to open my eyes, I discover it comes from a heart monitor. Wires come out of my chest. Thin sheets cover my naked body. Bandages are wrapped around my chest. Heavy casts surround my left arm and right leg from knees to toes. A thick metal collar is strapped around my neck. It makes my head hard to lift. _What the… Dad! No no no no no! _I get out of the bed very slowly, still incredibly sore and unused to two casts and stiff bandages restricting my movements. There's no clothing lying around, so after I pull the wires out of my skin, I wrap the thick blanket around me. The room is nice but sparsely decorated, stiff and lacking that homey feel. No windows at all. Just the bed, some ceiling lights, a chair, and a bookshelf fully stocked. Medical equipment surrounds the bed. Everything from heart monitors to dripping IVs. _What the heck?_

I hobble out, searching for somebody. _Where the heck am I?_ I've been in the Avengers Tower med bay plenty of times, and this looks nothing like it. The closed door leads to one other room that must be used for everything else. Only a tiny bathroom leads out of it. There's a coach and TV, desk and stool. No paintings, just red striped wallpaper. Nobody's around. The place is dead quiet. I see a newspaper on the coffee table. Eager to know the date, I try to use my powers to grab it. Surprisingly nothing comes out of my outstretched hand. I try again. Still nothing. _Did I…lose my powers? No!_ The collar. I try to force it open, claw it off, but nothing works. That thing's never coming off. _Teri's dead, Lisa is a villain, Miguel is God knows where…_ _Where is Dad?_ By now I'm spazzing. Nothing calms me down, so I settle for pacing the floor. Even that barely works.

o8o

It could be minutes or hours later. I don't know. There's no clock. But swishing metal interrupts my rapid pacing. The wall opens next to the desk. Must be a door that only opens from the outside. I fumble for the blanket as a couple doctors walk in. Before the door closes I spot robots patrolling the hallways and another cell block. "Who are you?" I ask quickly. "Where am I? What's going on? Is this a prison?"

"One question at a time, young lady," the man replies. "We're part of the medical personnel. You're in the Negative Zone. They brought you in a few weeks ago with severe injuries. Broken radius and Achilles, shattered kneecap, numerous lesions, possible brain damage. A coma made you dead to the world. We thought you wouldn't make it, especially since they said you have a healing power neutralized by the collar. And," he gestures around the room, "welcome to Project 42."

_Wha…? Coma? Negative Zone? No powers?_ All the while the two other doctors remove the blanket and inspect my body. Naturally I try to cover up. I don't know these people, and here they are, checking out my naked body. How much wronger can it get? "What's going on outside?"

"I can't tell you that, Nikki," he says. "What I can tell you is you need bed rest for the rest of the day. After that you'll be closely monitored."

_Stalkers!_ is the first thought that runs through my mind. _Since when were we on a first name basis? Since when does he know who I am? What the hell is going on here?_ None of my objections make a difference other than annoying them. Eventually they leave. I sink onto the coach. Normally I'm always on the move, but I'm just so drained. By now my injuries would be healing themselves, but no. They just had to take away my powers. _This sucks!_

With nothing better to do I turn on the TV. Half the channels are gone, leaving the basics and ones they must deem harmless. National Geographic, the History Channel, the Nature Channel, one news station. Probably so inmates are as removed from the outside world as they can get. _How do they get a signal?_ Nothing is on, so I try keeping the TV off. Without the noise the room becomes eerily quiet. No sounds except for my breathing and my brain coping with the sudden silence. My thoughts take over, showing images of Teri's dead body. She can't be dead. She just can't. Kids don't die. No matter how many times I tell myself that the images keep coming back. I turn on the TV again for background noise and let my brain zone out.

With no way of keeping time except for the clock on the news channel, I turn on the TV often. Eventually I keep it on. As I'm getting ready for bed, a reporter comes on covering the Registration. I immediately move from the bathroom to the coffee table. He starts with bits and pieces of the last fight I participated in. Miguel teleporting a group in, Sunset blasting everyone in a circle around her with radiation, Permafrost warding off attacks, Magneto slamming me around. Quite a few people watch my final fight. Dad has Cloak teleport everyone away. Then he skips ahead, explaining camps set up to train recruits without experience. Uncle Hank is one of the instructors. Do they really expect it to work? Holding that many teens in one facility, honed to perfection, only to be released to a team protecting a specific state? They're crazy. That will never work.

I go back to the shower. The hot water relaxes my tight muscles and relieves the skin beneath the bandages, but it shuts off five minutes in. I punch the button a few times. _Come on. Why can't we take long showers? Stupid!_ I step out to dry myself. A small closet holds just enough clothing, including pajamas and the tattered remains of my costume. My costume. Funny, how they keep that as my only possession from the outside world. I slide beneath the covers, tossing and turning for a few hours, sleep refusing to come. Being comatose for weeks entitles me to an all-nighter. I check out the bookshelf. They must have studied my profile, since most of the books are historical fiction and all my favorites are there. I find a series and skim the titles, but notice two are missing. Thinking back, I remember one of them deals with the Invaders and the other was written with the help of Royalty, covering possible alternate universes and making up stories based on the glimpses she sees. The only two with superheroes directly involved with the plot. Their attempts at censorship are obvious. Absolutely nothing having to do with heroes can make it into the prison, a prison holding powerful heroes already. They may keep us isolated, but they can't take away who we are. If we're heroes, then so be it. Someday we'll get out of this prison and carry on our work.

For breakfast they open a slot in the door and slide a tray in. By now I've figured out how they work. Everything is regulated. Showers, TV, how many calories we eat in a day. Must be how they control us. The rest of the day they keep me on lockdown.

Over the next few days I am slowly weaned of the meds and the bandages can be removed. The one time they tried to remove the boot I almost broke the doctor's nose, so it stays on; I wonder how long it takes a broken Achilles to heal. I lose track of the time. Finally I'm allowed outside my cell. A robot leads me to an exercise room and removes the power neutralizer. The skin feels tender and raw. I step onto the field to see Sandman and Marvel Girl tossing a football. Rachel still wears her collar. I opt for a bench press instead. Even with the lightest plates, the bar proves to be almost too much. Proves I came to rely on my powers too much and my muscles had an especially long break. My arms scream. I almost quit when I picture Dad standing over me, yelling that I'm lagging behind and need to get a move on. This will just have to be slow.

I get up to add another plate when a group of prisoners is herded in. Some head straight for a basketball court. One approaches me. _Is that…Patriot? He got captured? I thought all the Young Avengers joined Uncle Tony! _

"Hey," he greets me.

"Eli? What are you doing here?"

"They brought me in. We were doing a raid. Musta been a big haul."

I'm talking with Patriot, and he's not spitting in my face for Registering? "What's the situation outside?" I whisper.

He glances around for any nearby guards. "You've been in here for over a month, right?" I nod. "That last fight everyone saw your face. There were multiple casualties. Seems like we got some hits in."

"Great! Did you see what happened after I got taken out?"

"I was sniping nearby. Cap tried to dig you out but had to retreat. Dark Force-you're friends with him, right?-came to get me. He had to know if you were okay. The rescue workers came in after Iron Man's forces cleared out. No one wanted to help dig you out. Said you were a 'traitorous bastard.' Permafrost was the only one, besides Dark Force. They just loaded you into an ambulance with the other prisoners and took you to the Negative Zone."

I pause to let that sink in. "Did you hear anything about someone called H2O?"

"No, sorry. Was he important?"

"She. And no."

"You can always ask Daredevil. He was just brought in yesterday." He points to the court.

"One last thing. What about Dad?"

"He's fine. They're planning a break-in sometime this week. When most of us are in here."

"Alright. Thanks, Eli." A break-in… That could be my ticket out. And Lisa… She must have gone AWOL. I wonder if she's still a criminal. Her home life must be a lot worse than I thought. Miguel is fine, I hope. Teri… _No. Do not think those thoughts. Not here. _I go over to the court and lean against a bench. Daredevil rotates out. "Hi, Uncle Matt," I say.

"Nikki!" he smiles. "It's been awhile. Is your ankle and arm any better?"

"They'd be a lot better if I didn't have to wear the stupid collar."

"We all have to. Just hope we will be out of them soon."

Everybody is really riding on this jailbreak. It better work. "Believe me, I'm hoping. Have you ever heard of someone named H2O?"

He thinks a minute. "Yes. She joined the Resistance when Tony's thugs came knocking on her door. Very powerful, very angry young lady."

At least she's with Dad. She and Miguel are protected from the authorities. That's the most I can hope for. "Good. She's one of my best friends. I already lost Teri…" My voice splinters. Even with plenty of time to mourn her and lock away the memories, I still crack when her name comes up.

"Nearly everyone has lost someone, whether it be a friend, lover, sibling, or even just fought with once or twice. You're not alone. Tell you what." He places his hand on my shoulder. "When we get out, if your father is unable to, I'll take you to her grave. You can say goodbye. Is that alright?"

"Perfect. Thank you, Uncle Matt. It means a lot." A hug later and he's back in the game. I go back to lifting weights. Slowly but surely my strength comes back. Once or twice I try to make plates of light. As my powers return I realize they aren't nearly as strong as they were before. Could it be from misuse? Being hooked up to life support? Getting neutralized? Anything?

Quickly the rest of the time passes. Another robot comes and replaces my collar, leading me back to my room. I debate using my five minutes of hot water to calm down my screaming muscles, but decide to save it for later. The pain will probably be worse by then. I lay down on the couch, watching reruns of Ancient Aliens, wishing they would allow me to have some music. Music is the one thing that keeps me sane. Take that way and who knows what will happen.

Over time I slowly grow bored of the cell. All the shows watched, all the books read. The silence grows louder every day. And with each day, it presses in more, creating a smaller and smaller bubble keeping me safe. I take to constantly moving, hoping the quiet stays in check. I even resort to singing to banish it. I don't even remember the last time I sang Mom's songs. Probably years ago. Whenever the silence gets to be too much, I sing, straining my vocal cords at first. For the first time in years, the lyrics bring a face with them.

o8o

I enter the recreation room, prepared to win our latest match. When everybody gets there we start. I play defense, pushing for the ball, letting the better shooters score. Our resident clock calls halftime. Collapsing on the bench, I create a fan over us. We file back onto the court. As Masque passes the ball, an explosion rips through the hallway. _The break-in?_ I sprint to the door, shoving past robots. Eli reaches the door first. Someone tosses him his shield and others their weapons. Fighting breaks out between inmates and the swarms of robots that rushed to the scene. The Resistance pours in through a portal that shows the Baxter Building. Dad must have finally broken in. Outside more fighting takes place, this time with Pro-Regers and the Resistance. I turn around and punch a robot in the face. It crumbles, then rebuilds. _Come on. Now they regenerate?_ This time I plunge my fist straight through its chest, effectively killing it. I turn around and send a spike through another one's. I continue to fight the robots and any of Iron Man's supporters.

Finally the crowd around us dims. Dad's people were forced onto the street a while ago. I run towards the portal and, with one last glance over my shoulder, I jump out. The fresh air disorients me. It's been months since I was outside. I breathe deeply, enjoying the natural oxygen. I move out of the way so others can jump out, then move to the window to watch the battle spilling through the streets. Could Dad's forces actually stand a chance? The fight seems to be in his favor when a mob attacks him. He fights them off, but something changed. The light in his eyes disappeared. Dad raises his hands in surrender. "No! What are you doing?" I shout, preparing to jump off the platform.

Strong arms wrap around me from behind. "You can't," Starliner says. "Something feels off down there. It isn't safe for you."

Still I try to shrug her off. On the street, the fighting slows down. Nearly everyone stops to watch what comes next. Before Iron Man can accept or deny, a red dot appears on Dad's chest. Everything slows down. A gun shoots. A single bullet cuts deep into his skin, in the exact center of the star on his chest. I beat back Starliner and jump down. A small crater is left in the pavement. I run to Dad and crouch over his body. Blood seeps from the tiny wound. Tears long unshed leak out of my eyes. Sobs form in my throat, held back by a large knot. Only one thought manages to push through the haze.

_Whoever did this, I hope you know I'm out for blood._


	5. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The government has always been weary of masked crusaders. Only people like Tony Stark, high-ranked officials within the White House, were able to dissuade any thoughts of forcing heroes to unmask. They listened. However, when the New Warriors attacked Nitro in Stanford, all rational thoughts were thrown out the window. All the government wanted was for any person wearing a mask to come forward and register. And that is what they did.

Tony Stark's opinions were pushed aside to make room for the Superhuman Registration Act. With it came a new law forcing heroes and villains alike to reveal their names to the government in order to be allowed to continue fighting. In order to do what they do best, super humans would have to give up everything. From the moment the act was passed, people began to register. But not all. Captain America refused to and went underground. Before long he had followers. Not long after that, he had a small army. The most important member was his own daughter, Nikki Rodgers.

Nikki was to act as a spy, reporting any valuable information back to the Captain. Her job was easily the most crucial. Without the inside information, the Resistance would not have made it as far as they did. Nikki took her duty seriously. Even though she doubted her abilities to feign innocence and stay anonymous, she did remarkably well for someone of her age. It took months for geniuses to even place her on suspect lists. But once they did, they moved swiftly. It was during one of the last huge battles when Iron Man acted against Nikki. By himself he might not have been able to defeat her, but with the added attacks of Magneto and Power Gem, Nikki could take no more. To make things worse, the final blow was not from a superhuman fighting on the streets, but from one of her best friends, Miguel Santaz.

Captain America could not resist when he saw the building fall on his only child. After the battle, he was forced to hope the medical staff in the Negative Zone could save her. During an attempt to free those taken prisoner, Nikki escaped and watched her father die. Nikki swore revenge, not knowing that the person who killed him would later become her worst enemy.

A cool breeze blew through the street, ruffling the leaves. They danced across the pavement. Old-fashioned houses lined the avenue, their towering frames casting deep shadows on the streetlamps. All the windows were dark. Nothing moved except a running figure on the sidewalk.

Her bright yellow hair fluttered out behind her. Bright blue eyes glistened with fear. She clutched a small child to her chest. The child had stayed quiet the whole trip, but she sensed her mother's fear. It made her upset, and she began to cry. "Shh, it's okay. Mommy's here," the woman whispered, knowing that she would not for much longer. Her daughter's sobs went away. "We're just going to Daddy."

The woman continued running. Eventually she reached her destination: a small two story house painted pale blue. She knew every nook and cranny; after all, it was her boyfriend's house. The woman placed her daughter on the doorstep and wrapped her fingers around an envelope. "Goodbye, my little angel," she said, her voice cracking. She pressed the doorbell and ran off to her daughter's confused cries.

Only a block away a gang trailed the woman. One of the members was her ex, and when he found out she loved someone else, he wanted to get revenge. He did not try to when she was in her lovers' presence, but as soon as she decided to leave her child behind, he made a move. They pulled up to the sidewalk and surrounded the woman. Though there were more of them, she had the "xtra-gene," and was able to defeat all but one. Her ex pulled out a gun and, after ranting a little, shot her.

Meanwhile a man answered the doorbell, his hair rumpled, wearing nothing but pajama pants. Sleepily he looked down and saw a crying little girl. He gasped; it was his daughter. "What…" The girl stopped once he picked her up, she recognized him as her father. Quickly he stumbled inside and put his daughter to bed.

Up early the next morning, the man turned on his radio to listen to the news. After the usual greetings, a new story came on. It was about a woman who was found dead only a few blocks from his home. When they revealed the woman's name, Alison Blaire, the man began to weep. His girlfriend was dead, and he was left to raise his daughter alone. Cooing from her perch on the couch, she had no idea her mother was dead. Nor that her life was forever changed.


End file.
